THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE WOCN速 SOCIETY
ISSUE 6, FALL 2015
The Importance
OF WOC NURSES in Infant Ostomy Care
The Deal on Travel Scholarships Page 12
Managing Work, Life and Volunteering Page 16
www.wocn.org
The New Way to Select a
Support Surface An evidence- and consensus-based support surface selection algorithm Developed by leading researchers and clinicians Access on phones, tablets and desktop computers No downloads required Access the support surface algorithm at algorithm.wocn.org.
Funded in part by an unrestricted educational grant from Hill-Rom.
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TA B L E O F CONTENTS THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE WOCN® SOCIETY
FEATURES
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WE’L L P I C K U P T HE TA B: TRAVE L S C H O LAR S HI PS
L IVIN G W I T H AN O ST OMY
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TH E IMP O RTAN C E OF W OC N U RS E S I N I N FANT OS T OMY C ARE
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M AKING A D I FFE R E NCE : TH E W O U N D T RE AT ME NT ASSOC I AT E P RO G R A M
STA ND U P AN D TAK E A BOW: W OR K, L I F E , VOL U N TE E R
T HE 4 7 TH AN N U AL CONF ER E N C E R E C AP : SOC I AL ST Y L E
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UPDATE D VI D E O TU TOR I AL S
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CA L L FOR N OMI N ATI ON S
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President’s Message
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Region & Affiliate News
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WOCN Society Foundation Awards Scholarships
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Corporate Member Updates
mission The WOCN Society is a professional nursing society which supports its members by promoting educational, clinical and research opportunities to advance the practice and guide the delivery of expert health care to individuals with wounds, ostomies and incontinence. Executive Vice President Nicolette Zuecca, MPA, CAE nzuecca@wocn.org In It For You is a publication of the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society™ (WOCN®) 888-224-WOCN www.wocn.org www.wocn.org/foundation Publication Date: Fall 2015
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Public Policy Update
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WOCN SOCIETY BOARD AND COMMITTEE CHAIRS BOARD Carolyn Watts, MSN, RN, CWON President 2015-2017 Nashville, TN carolyn.watts@vanderbilt.edu Kelly Jaszarowski, MSN, RN, CNS, ANP, CWOCN President Elect 2015-2017 Washington, IL jaszcwocn@yahoo.com Dea J. Kent, DNP, MSN, RN, NP-C, CWOCN Secretary 2014-2016 Sharpsville, IN deajkent@aol.com Sandy C. Hughes, BSN, RN, CWOCN, COS-C Treasurer 2014-2016 Watertown, MA shughes787@hotmail.com Phyllis T. Kupsick, MSN, RN, FNP-BC, CWOCN Immediate Past President 2015-2016 Albemarle, NC phylliskupsick@gmail.com
Michele (Shelly) BurdetteTaylor, PhD, MSN, RN-BC, CWCN, CFCN Director-at-Large Area #1 2015-2017 Anchorage, AK mrburdettetaylor@uaa.alaska. edu
Audit Committee Sandy Hughes, BSN, RN, CWOCN, COS-C Watertown, MA shughes787@hotmail.com Development Committee Laurie McNichol, MSN, RN, GNP, CWOCN, CWON-AP Greensboro, NC Laurie.McNichol@conehealth. com Education Committee Jill Cox, PhD, RN, APN-C, CWOCN Newark, NJ glcgrc@yahoo.com
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Shawneen Schmitt, MSN, MS, RN, CWOCN, CFCN, FACCWS Director-at-Large Area #2 2014-2016 Waukesha, WI smsmsnrn@gmail.com
A Formal Introduction
Vittoria (Vicky) Pontieri-Lewis, MS, RN, ACNS-BC, CWOCN Director-at-Large Area #3 2015-2017 Kendall Park, NJ Vicky.Lewis@rwjuh.edu Mary Arnold Long, MSN, RN, APRN, CRRN, CWOCN-AP, ACNS-BC Director-at-Large Area #4 2014-2016 Charleston, SC Mary.arnoldlong@rsfh.com
C O M M IT T EE CHA IR S Accreditation Committee Kathleen McLaughlin, MSN, RN, CWOCN Paoli, PA jkpjb@aol.com
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National Conference Planning Committee Colleen Drolshagen, RN, CNS, CWOCN Winfield, IL colleen.drolshagen56@ gmail.com Nominating Committee Ben Peirce, BA, RN, CWOCN Hollywood, FL benpeirce@att.net Wound Treatment Associate Advisory Committee Dea J. Kent, DNP, RN, NP-C, CWOCN Sharpsville, IN deajkent@aol.com
C A R O LY N W AT T S , M S N , R N , C W O N , C B P N - I C
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am honored to be writing my first message as your new President of the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society™ (WOCN®). I want to share some information about me as a person, as a WOC nurse and finally some information about where we are and where we are going as a Society. I was born in Tennessee, raised in Michigan and have been back in Tennessee for over 40 years, so I’m a bit of a hybrid. Tennessee is where I had and raised my two wonderful children so it is really my home. When my son was 18 months old I decided to go to graduate school to get my master’s degree. I knew that was what I needed to do for myself to achieve what I wanted to do and achieve in nursing. I can tell you that was an adventure but I have been so thankful that I was able to complete that goal I set for myself.
MY JOURNEY TO THE PRESIDENCY OF THE WOCN SOCIETY My early nursing career was in critical care (ICU and ER). I admit I was a bit of an adrenaline junkie in those days. I progressed to nursing administration but after several years of that role I realized how much I missed direct patient care.
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I joined the Society in the mid-1980s and my first national conference had about 200-250 attendees, as opposed to our current 2,000+. When I went back to the bedside as a CNS in general surgery and surgical oncology, I realized how many of our patients had ostomies and major wound problems. I found these patients very challenging but most rewarding. When I met my first WOC (ET) nurse in the early 1980s I knew that was what I wanted to do as the next step in my career path. She was an amazing teacher, mentor and friend, who encouraged me to become certified, which I did. I joined the Society in the mid-1980s and my first national conference had about 200-250 attendees, as opposed to our current 2,000+. The other thing my mentor encouraged me to do was to become involved in the Society by volunteering. One of my personal goals was to advance our practice and increase recognition of our contributions, as well as be a strong patient advocate. I started as a committee member working
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
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Our public policy and advocacy experts act on of behalf of the Society as the authoritative voice, promoting awareness among the public policy makers and the healthcare community. on the Standards of Practice for Wound Care, which, over time, evolved into the current Evidence Based Guidelines for Wound Care (pressure ulcers, lower extremity wounds, etc.) As I began to meet more people I found new friends and mentors who encouraged me to become even more involved. I was a member of the NCPC (National Conference Planning Committee) for 10 years (there were no term limits in those days) and then chaired the committee for four years. From there I served as Treasurer and then ran for President-Elect. I was blessed to be elected to represent you and the Society. I am very pleased to dedicate a large portion of my time to serve you, the members, in moving the Society forward to the next level.
THE FOCUS FOR WOCN SOCIETY MEMBERS
I am proud to have the opportunity to lead the WOCN Society in this exciting time in health care and will continue to focus on the strategic pillars and goals established by my predecessors: public policy and advocacy, education, research and member engagement. Our public policy and advocacy experts act on of behalf of the Society as the authoritative voice, promoting awareness among the public policy makers and the healthcare community. This year we have been very active, meeting with legislators, bringing the WOCN Society voice to those in Washington who are making decisions about the future of reimbursement of
products and services and the prevention and management of WOC disorders. For example, the Society supported Senate Bill 241, which was passed into law in the state of Maryland in April 2015. The law mandates that health insurers provide coverage for ostomy supplies. Maryland is the latest state to pass legislation mandating coverage of ostomy supplies joining Connecticut and New York. Ongoing education and tools are also critical for our practice. Let me share with you a few highlights from this past year. Over 2,000 colleagues, including scholarship recipients, gathered for our 47th Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas, to share, learn and collaborate. The conference brought together thought leaders to interact with our members and provided the opportunity for handson interactions, not only with industry partners showcasing their latest products and services, but with clinical experts. The WOCN Society unveiled the Support Surface Algorithm, a Web-based tool designed to assist clinicians at the bedside in making clinical decisions. This summer also brought to fruition three Core Curriculum textbooks: Wound Management, Ostomy Management and Continence Management. The development of these gold-standard resources were brought to our members through the dedication of a team of volunteer experts. Our Wound Treatment Associate (WTA) Program graduates support the certified wound care nurses and provide an extension of quality patient care through
education of non-BSN nurses, LPNs/LVNs and medics. We were delighted that the WOCNCB chose to expand certification opportunities for those clinicians at the bedside. The WOCN Society continuously seeks ways to engage our members to promote our specialty and assist each of you in your daily practice, both within your clinical practice and your professional advancement. But the WE is really each and every one of you that bring your special passion to patients every day. Our prestigious JWOCN is a respected venue for driving and showcasing the research of our colleagues and leaders in the field to enhance clinical practice. We are always looking for volunteers to work on committees and short-term task forces on a national level. We welcome your ideas and encourage your participation in blogs and interaction with your colleagues through our website, www.wocn.org; social media, (including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn); and contributions to our electronic (WOCNow) and print (In it for You) publications. Don’t just join the WOCN Society, make it yours by being an active participant, being a mentor for a new WOC nurse, meeting new people and having a voice, all while advancing your professional development. This is an exciting time in health care. I remain as committed as my predecessors to continually promote and advocate for the WOC nursing practice. Please know that I am available to you at any time that you need to ask a question or discuss an issue.
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Introducing the New WOCN® Society
Core Curriculum SERIES
Following the Curriculum Blueprint designed by the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society™ (WOCN®) and authored by leading educators, these reference texts are ideal for anyone seeking wound, ostomy, and continence nursing certification or authoritative, practical information in these areas.
Edited by Dorothy Doughty and Laurie McNichol ISBN 978-1-4511-9440-1
Covers wounds caused by external mechanical factors and specific disease process, lower extremity ulcers, and the management of enterocutaneous fistulas and percutaneous tubes.
Edited by Jane E. Carmel, Janice C. Colwell, and Margaret T. Goldberg ISBN 978-1-4511-9439-5
The perfect reference for healthcare professionals who manage patients needing fecal and urinary diversions, or ostomy management.
Edited by Dorothy Doughty and Katherine Moore ISBN 978-1-4511-9441-8
An ideal training resource for anyone who manages patients with urinary or fecal incontinence, as well as bowel dysfunction.
Order your copy of each text at lww.com
Supported through an educational grant from Hollister Incorporated.
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REGION & AFFILIATE NEWS
News from the WOC World EASTERN SHORE AFFILIATE (ESWOCN) OF THE WOCN SOCIETY www.marwocn.org/ af-easternshore Our 14 wound, ostomy and continence (WOC) nurses have been extremely active with community educational sessions. In 2014, we formed the Wound Coalition group, which is sponsored by a medical vendor and offers any healthcare professional the opportunity to attend quarterly dinner educational meetings. They gain knowledge on evidence-based practice guidelines and new technology related to WOC nursing. The goal of this group is to educate the providers in the community at every level to facilitate WOC best practices across the continuum of health care.
MEMBER UPDATES
Kathy Wright, RN, CWOCN-AP, ACHRN (Secretary), is currently serving as Secretary of the Baromedical Nurses Association, having been drafted to support this growing hyperbaric nurses group while on the Association’s 30th anniversary cruise to Mexico! She would love to see the MidAtlantic Region consider a similar “cruisewhile-you-earn CEs” adventure! Wendy Surguy, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, CWOCN (President), starts her new role as a family nurse practitioner at Bayhealth Urology in Milford and Lewes, Delaware. Her professional goal is to establish a pelvic floor rehabilitation clinic for urinary and fecal incontinence in Delaware. We would
like to welcome the two newest members to ESWOCN: Beth Larimore, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, and Mary Raspberry, BSN, RN. Both Beth and Mary have completed their WOCNEP programs. Welcome!
PACIFIC COAST REGION (PCR) OF THE WOCN SOCIETY www.pcr.org The PCR held our annual conference at the happiest place on earth – Disneyland – in Anaheim, California, this past March. We were treated to discount tickets to the theme park, wine and cheese tasting at Disney’s California Adventure park, along with a performance of the musical spectacular, Aladdin. Daphne Weiland, our education board member, did an outstanding job in securing informative and inspirational speakers. Many of our vendors also provided sponsored meal meetings, some of which were able to provide CEUs. The membership was treated to a lovely breakfast at our general membership meeting, where our new board members were introduced and we welcomed Monica Chen (communications) and Charleen Deo (education). Mary Sears received the Lifetime Achievement Award, and Andrea Rougalis was presented with the President’s Award. Congratulations to Kathy Musgraves, Melinda Miller and Marybeth Dodge, who were the lucky raffle winners and will receive complimentary registration or one free night at a hotel at our upcoming 2016 conference in Lake Tahoe, Nevada,
April 7–9, 2016 at the Resort at Squaw Valley. PCR once again had a booth at the WOCN Society’s 47th Annual Conference this past June in San Antonio, Texas. We want to thank all the volunteers who manned the booth and answered questions regarding our organization. Collen Sichel and Lesa Groves, were the lucky raffle winners from our drawing at our booth. They will receive complimentary registration or one free night at a hotel at our upcoming 2016 conference in Lake Tahoe. We had a great time at our annual PCR Social on June 6. Food was provided by the WOCN Society and we provided the spirits. We had 10 new WOC nurses attend the PCR Social. PCR also presented WOC Scholarships to Jeffrey Yarr, BSN, for wound and ostomy education ($1,000 award) and Pamela Laudi, BSN, RN, CWS, for ostomy education ($500). Gene Galindo Award recipients were Diana Gallagher ($400) and Dee Walters ($400). Congratulations to all the winners! Please visit our website at www.pcr.org for all the latest news.
CAPITAL DISTRICT NY AFFILIATE OF THE WOCN SOCIETY www.ner-wocn.org/affiliates/ capital-district-ny MEETINGS
The affiliate meets monthly the third Wednesday of the month from 5-7 pm. IN IT FOR YOU | ISSUE 6, FALL 2015
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One of our goals for this year is to develop an affiliate policy on philanthropic giving that fits with the mission of the society. For more information, visit www.ner-wocn.org.
PAST EVENTS
We plan an annual educational conference held in the fall for the RNs in our community. We develop and present this one-day conference to keep the professional community in our area updated on the latest information and technology as it relates to continence, ostomy and skin and wound care. The conference was held on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015 at the Carondelet Hospitality House, in Latham, New York.
RECOGNITIONS
Several of our affiliate members presented at the WOCN Society’s 47th Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas this past June. Jody Scardillo, DNP, RN, ANPBC, CWOCN, presented her research, “Exploring the Relationship between Resilience and Ostomy Adjustment in the Adult with a Permanent Stoma,” as a poster and podium session. Kristin HazeltonHardy, BS, RN, CWOCN; Donna Truland, BS, RN, CWOCN; Karen Riemenschneider, DNP, RN-BC, CWOCN; and Jody Scardillo also had a poster, “An Oldie but Goodie…a Simple Strategy to Heal Painful Irritated Skin.” Amy Carlson, MS, FNP, CWOCN, and Madeline R. Cafiero, EdD, FNP, CWOCN, presented their poster, “The Use of LEAN to Drive Pressure Ulcer Prevention in Long-Term Care.” Member Catherine Fisher, BSN, RN, CWOCN, also presented her poster, “Implementation of New Disposable Incontinence Products to Promote Best Practice Recommendations of Adult Incontinence.” Congratulations to Karen Riemenschneder, DNP, RN-BC, CWOCN, on the publication of her research in the July/August 2015 issue of the Journal of Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing titled “Uncertainty and Adaptation among Adults Living with Incontinent Ostomies.”
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BALTIMORE AFFILIATE OF THE WOCN SOCIETY
SOUTH CENTRAL REGION (SCR) OF THE WOCN SOCIETY
www.marwocn.org/af-baltimore
www.scrwocn.org
We are proud of the accomplishments of our enthusiastic membership: preparing poster presentations, pursuing advanced degrees, drafting publications and mentoring keep the Baltimore Affiliate very busy! A regular highlight of our bimonthly meetings is “Learning from Within,” which provides an opportunity for one of our members to present a case study or recent innovation. Members also share insights from attending WOCN conferences. Speakers at our meetings have presented various educational topics in 2015 including surgical management of lymphedema, multi-disciplinary limb salvage and nutrition for the ostomate. We continue our mission to optimize transitions of care for the new ostomate across the continuum, and regularly discuss both milestones and challenges in the ongoing process of ensuring safe transitions for this vulnerable patient population. Handoffs from outpatient marking and teaching, to inpatient care, to home health nursing are all critical to patients’ adaptation and recovery. Some of our members are also currently involved in helping to launch the Greater Baltimore Ostomy Association, a chapter of the UOAA. This spring we had a team tent at the Take Steps for Crohn’s and Colitis Walk in Baltimore. Under the name, “B-More Wizards of Os,” we helped increase awareness of the role of the ostomy nurse and raised over $2,500 for this worthy cause. We also once again sponsored a young camper to attend Youth Rally in July, plus one of our own volunteered as a Youth Rally camp nurse/counselor for the second year in a row!
The SCR of the WOCN Society has been especially busy this past year. Our region successfully adopted the WOCN Society’s Operating Guidelines; tailored the SCR of the WOCN Society’s current Policy and Procedures to meet the new WOCN Society’s Operating Guidelines; updated the SCR website (www.SCRWOCN. org); established and implemented new initiatives to increase member participation; created and implemented a Facebook Page (www.facebook.com/ SCRWOCN); increased our membership to 403 members as of June 2015; and held our regional meeting at the WOCN Society’s 47th Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas, where we acknowledged abstract presenters and announced upcoming elections for council to be Secretary, President-Elect and Nominations. At this meeting, our members also agreed to move forward with a collaboration with Wound Care Institute (WCI) in Branson, Missouri, for our 2016 regional conference (March 13–15). During this meeting, our region will have the opportunity to raise funds through an auction and dinner. Please put your thinking caps on and start collecting items for the auction to be a success. Our region is growing and the momentum to serve as a society is definitely improving. Keep up the great work SCR members and make sure to share your success stories through our Facebook Page. We only know if you inform us!
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NEW ENGLAND REGION OF THE WOCN SOCIETY
NORTHWEST (NW) REGION OF THE WOCN SOCIETY
NORTHEAST REGION (NER) OF THE WOCN SOCIETY
www.newenglandwocn.org
www.nwregionwocn.org
www.ner-wocn.org
The New England Region of the WOCN Society will be holding its 39th Annual Symposium, Nov. 6–7, 2015 at the Newport Marriott in Newport, Rhode Island. Information can be found on our website at www.newenglandwocn.org/conferences. We’ll present the 2015 WOC Nurse of the Year and hold our Youth Rally Auction at this meeting. Please bring your auction items or bid high. To honor the memory of one of our founding members, the Janet Gillis Youth Rally Scholarship is offered to members of the New England Region to attend the UOA Youth Rally camp as a counselor. We are pleased to announce that our first recipient of the Janet Gillis Youth Rally Scholarship is Sandy Quigley, RN, CWOCN, CPNP-PC, clinical specialist in wound, ostomy and continence at Boston Children’s Hospital. If you would like information about attending next year’s rally as a counselor, contact Marian Barry-Ravagni at marianrn8@aol. com. This year we are voting on two positions for our Board: President-Elect and Treasurer. Members are welcome to participate on our many committees. We are looking for members for all our committees. Education, Communication, Nominations, Membership/PR/Scholarship, Political Action, Youth Rally and Historian. Please volunteer. Members can find information about the scholarships offered by the region by visiting our website at www. newenglandwocn.org. Please remember to “like” us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/ newengladwocn, for the latest information and news of the region.
This fall is an exciting time for members of the NW Region. Our Fall Conference theme this year is “Tract Town, USA” in honor of the host city of Eugene, Oregon, (Track Town, USA), the birthplace of modern jogging. The conference took place Oct. 15–17, 2015 at the Valley River Inn. Attendees were invited to follow the “tracts” of WOC nursing to hear about need-toknow topics delivered by clinical experts (e.g., burns, continence education for spinal cord injured patients, lymphedema, fecal incontinence and how recertify with PGP, followed by the always-popular Youth Rally Auction). Pre- and post-conference sessions included: • Oct. 15: Application of Soft Total Contact Casts Skills Lab • Oct. 17: Hands-on Sharp Debridement Skills Lab The Board of the NW Region is proud to announce Faye Crowell as this year’s recipient of the NW Region WOC Nurse of the Year award. Faye began her career 45 years ago graduating from Montana State University, earning her ET certificate in 1978 from MD Anderson. Faye’s practice as an ET nurse included 15 years in Portland, Oregon, followed by 19 years as a CWOCN at Salem Hospital. Faye was instrumental in building the incredible Wound/Ostomy Program at Salem Hospital and is well known as a mentor and valuable resource for most of the WOC nurses in the Portland area. The Board is also excited to announce Caryn Goolsby as the new PresidentElect. Caryn is currently working for CHI Franciscan Health in the Puget Sound area as well as in outpatient ostomy/wound. Please also congratulate Nicole Kindel, who has been re-elected to the Treasurer position. She currently works as the CWOCN at Kaiser Westside in Hillsboro, Oregon. Thank you all for your votes. Your participation in this year’s election was greatly appreciated.
The NER had our regional conference, “Sailing the Waves of Quality Care,” in Erie, Pennsylvania, Oct. 2–4, 2015. Our region consists of nine affiliates throughout New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and each affiliate has always hosted the regional conference. Two years ago we decided to form a NER Conference Planning Committee to serve as the core group of experts to support each affiliate as nine years to host a conference is a very long time. The members have changed (many have retired and there are newer members), the economy has changed and we felt that we needed to be especially supportive of each affiliate. This year, the conference benefited from the input and advice of the regional CE experts Kathy McLaughlin and Maureen Ingram. Cathleen VanHouten and Ginny Hanchett developed a very detailed budget tracking tool with guidelines and tips for hotel contract negotiations. We hope that the NER Conference Planning Committee provided support, especially for the smaller affiliates with few members and resources, and helped improve the overall standards of our regional conferences. We would also like to wish Jane Carmel, MSN, RN, CWOCN, a happy retirement from the Wicks’ Harrisburg Area WOCNEP.
CENTRAL ILLINOIS AFFILIATE (CIA) OF THE WOCN SOCIETY We had a great turnout at the WOCN Society’s 47th Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas. We enjoyed the Riverwalk and many of the other wonderful sights of the city, not to mention all of the wonderful WOC nurses we met. Congratulations to six of our members, who presented posters at the conference: Becky Hatfield, Linda Bergren, Teresa Novy, Deb Schimmelpfenning, Bevette IN IT FOR YOU | ISSUE 6, FALL 2015
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Griffin and Melissa Klyber. We had our educational symposium on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015, from 8 am–4 pm. Featured speakers included Susan Dieter, Janice Colwell, Julia Overstreet and Dr. Debra Babich. For more information, contact Krista Schulte at kschulte@sblhs. org. CIA will have a meeting at lunch time.
WESTERN PA AFFILIATE OF THE WOCN SOCIETY www.ner-wocn.org/affiliates/ western-pa The Western PA Affiliate meets five times each year. March, July and November are vendor sponsored and provide education on current practices. The vendor fair is in May. Competencies and new board member elections were held Sept. 17, 2015. The Western PA Affiliate hosted the 2015 Northeast Regional Conference, Oct. 2–4, 2015 at the Bayfront Convention Center in Erie, Pennsylvania. The theme was “Sailing the Waves of Quality Care.” The remaining meeting for 2015 will be Nov. 19, 2015. McKesson Patient Care Solutions will sponsor the meeting at Forbes Regional Hospital.
2016 MEETINGS AND HOSTS • • • •
March 17, 2016: ConvaTec May 19, 2016: Vendor Fair July 21, 2016: Mölnlycke Sept. 15, 2016: Competencies and Elections • Nov. 17, 2016: McKesson
NORTH CENTRAL REGION (NCR) OF THE WOCN SOCIETY www.northcentralregion.org Our regional fall conference was held Oct. 23–24, 2015, in La Crosse, Wisconsin at the Radisson Hotel. NCR continues to support and encourage scholarship applicants. Two Full WOC Education Scholarships were awarded this spring to Heidi Mueller 8
IN IT FOR YOU | ISSUE 6, FALL 2015
from Wisconsin and Vicki Holker from Minnesota. NCR members supported a scholarship for the foot and nail care program. The group was in 100 percent agreement that a requisite for application is membership in the NCR. Connie Blazek from Wisconsin is the 2015 NCR Excellence Award recipient. Meg Collins is winner of the NCR new member drawing from 2014 and had all expenses paid for the fall conference in La Crosse, Wisconsin. NCR membership remains stable with approximately 240 members. We continue discussion about recruitment of new members and how to keep current members. We checked with the WOC Nursing Education Programs to confirm that they inform their WOC grads of the Society and encourage membership, and also send reminders to WOC preceptors to encourage membership. Jeanne Stadler will serve a second term as Secretary; Sandra Oehlke will serve a second term as Minnesota State Representative; Sherry Tennies is the new Wisconsin State Representative; and Barb Provo will assume the Treasurer position. The formal swearing in took place at the fall conference in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
CENTRAL VIRGINIA AFFILIATE OF THE WOCN SOCIETY www.marwocn.org/af-centralVA The Central Virginia Affiliate took a hard look at how the affiliate meetings were historically conducted, seeking improvement in the meeting structure and content. To meet members’ needs, we have reorganized our bimonthly meetings from a general global approach to a focus on the professional development of members. This is being accomplished by limiting affiliate meetings to WOCN Society members only, providing more time for networking and incorporating journal club into the agenda. The leadership is also encouraging and coaching members to actively participate in poster development, authoring publications and presenting formal and
informal education. The counter balance to this new focus on members is offering a non-member education event once each year. Planned for March 2016, the event will be open to all area nurses interested in learning more about the career aspects of WOC nursing and will provide an educational session on a hot clinical topic. We are looking forward to growing together in our chosen passion – WOC nursing!
IOWA AFFILIATE OF THE WOCN SOCIETY www.iowawocn.org This summer, the Iowa Affiliate of the WOCN Society was busy preparing for our annual fall conference, which was held Thursday and Friday, Sept. 10–11, 2015. We announced election results and introduced a new President-Elect at our fall conference. We want to thank our current affiliate President Sandy Rohr for her leadership the past two years. Iowa was well represented at the WOCN Society’s 47th Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas, with 28 of our members in attendance. We had three first-time attendees this year! Members appreciated the opportunity to meet our society leaders during our affiliate meeting held at conference. Joni Boese, BSN, RN, CWOCN, received special recognition for being a WOC nurse for 30 years. Several of our members had posters displayed at the national conference. The Iowa Affiliate offers educational scholarships to nurses pursuing WOC education and certification. Congratulations to member Lynette Sievers, recipient of this year’s scholarship, who successfully completed her full-scope program and certification in December 2014. Our Marketing Committee has been working on strategies to recruit new members to our organization. Our Website Committee is working on redesigning our website to align with the WOCN Society’s Operating Guidelines. Please visit our website at www.iowawocn.org.
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SOUTHEAST REGION OF THE WOCN SOCIETY
ST. LOUIS AFFILIATE OF THE WOCN SOCIETY
HAMPTON AFFILIATE OF THE WOCN SOCIETY
www.serwocn.org
www.stlwocn.org
This year, the Southeast Region hosted its fall conference, “Experience the Magic: Blending the Art & Science of WOC Nursing,” Sept. 10–12, 2015, in Orlando, Florida. The conference committee planned an amazing conference that educated over 225 participants. Karen Edwards spoke at a sold-out, three-hour pre-conference session, “The Aftermath of GI Surgery: The Magic and Science of Pouching.” An additional 14 CEs were offered to the conference attendees. Kudos to our five scholarship winners, who were each awarded $1,200 to help defray their conference expenses: Kimberly Canady, Angela Graham, Sonya Hicks, Jamie Parker and Linda Ravenhorst. During the conference, Maria Kotula from South Carolina was surprised with the Rookie of the Year Award, for our new WOC nurses with less than two years’ experience. Jamie Parker from Georgia was awarded the Nurse of the Year Award. And, Charlene Demers was recognized by her peers in Florida with the Florida State Recognition Award. New this year, our region initiated a scholarship program for the Southeast members returning to school for advanced practice in nursing or attending a WOC Nursing Education Program. Our first recipients of the WOC Nursing EP Scholarships are Jamie Chambers, who is attending the Emory program, and Vicky Bryan, who is attending Georgia State University for her MSN/FNP. Congratulations to all our conference winners and recipients of the awards!
The St. Louis Affiliate was a sleepy group of WOC nurses for a while. Yes, we had an annual conference with only a portion of the membership attending. The stirring together of a few members convinced the membership to have a website, www. stlwocn.org. That event seemed to be the turning point of our little group. Of course that was a change – a big change in the way it “had always been done.” With the website, we started to dream about growing our conference. We jumped in with both feet and had two national speakers and online registration. Our attendance outgrew the hospital meeting rooms we borrowed. This year we found bigger conference rooms for our pending conference, and we are show casing our local talent. This is what a regional conference should do – grow its own. The industry portion of us spread the Woundstock Conference news to the far ends of our state and beyond. The clinical portion of us invited our SWAT teams. By keeping our price low and involving many vendors, we are able to target home care and long-term nurses who work without the benefit of a WOC nurse. We offer two levels of education for the day: advanced and beginner. With the profit we make, we are able to fund scholarships for a WOC student, sponsor a member’s trip to the WOCN Society’s Annual Conference and provide a donation for our UOAA Chapter. Who knew that a website could bring us together?
www.marwocn.org/afhamptonRoads A Marketing Committee was established with the goal of creating a pamphlet/ brochure describing the HR WOC group as resource for wound and ostomy care. A long-term goal is to market our professional services to MDs’ offices, support groups, patients being discharged from the hospital, outpatient clinics and DMEs. Two of our monthly meetings will not be vendor-sponsored. Meetings will be devoted to “nightmares” on wound street (April 2016) and “nightmares” on Ostomy street (August 2016).
CONGRATULATIONS TO:
• April Clements, BSN, RN finished Wicks School in July 2015. She will work at Sentara Home Care Services. • Bonnie Blackburn, BSN, RN, CWCN, completed her wound certification; she works at Sentara Obici Hospital.
AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
The wound care team at Maryview (Sheryl Bailey and Melinda Edger) is the recipient group for the Annual DAISY Team Award as part of the Nurse Advisory Council Patient Bathing Task Force. We completed an evidence-based project that led to the development of an algorithm for patient bathing while in the hospital.
WOCN SOCIETY PARTICIPATION
Cindy Miller spoke about Vashe Wound Solution at one of the Innovation Theatre Presentations. She spoke about facts for using hypochlorous acid (HOCL) to clean and treat wounds over saline and antimicrobial cleansers.
IN IT FOR YOU | ISSUE 6, FALL 2015
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MID-ATLANTIC REGION (MAR) OF THE WOCN SOCIETY www.marwocn.org This year’s MAR Fall Conference, “Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing: A Rich History and Exciting Future,” was held at the Westin Alexandria in Alexandria, Virginia, Oct. 16-17, 2015. A variety of exciting topics were presented, such as legal perspectives, nightmare case studies, hands-on ostomy lecture, total contact casting, nursing research and small bowel transplant, to name a few. Please visit our website at www.marwocn.org and click on the conference tab to view the brochure and see the full program. The region is very proud to announce that one of our own received a very prestigious award at the WOCN Society’s 47th Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas this year. Tara Beuscher, President of the Blue Ridge Affiliate, received the 2015 JWOCN Clinical Manuscript Award for the article, “Pad Weighing for Reduction of Indwelling Urinary Use and Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infection: A Quality Improvement Project.” Beuscher states that the project was the one reason that her facility has seen steadily declining infection rates. They were able to celebrate seven months with no CAUTIs! Congratulations!
GREATER LEHIGH VALLEY AFFILIATE OF THE WOCN SOCIETY www.ner-wocn.org/affiliates/ greater-lehigh-valley Carol Schaeffer’s retirement announcement! Schaeffer graduated from the Reading Hospital School of Nursing in 1970. She just attended her 45th Class Reunion, reconnecting with old friends. She worked at a VA hospital as a staff nurse while her husband was in the seminary. She completed the Harrisburg Hospital School of Enterostomal Therapy in November
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1979, and was in the first group that took the first-ever certification exam in June 1980. She has been taking that exam every five years since. She was active in caring for ostomy patients, helping them to cope and manage their new lifestyle. She said working in the outpatient setting has many benefits, including learning about all the various ostomy products, and that you are not bound by contracts and formularies. Her plans after retiring include taking care of her family and having more time to enjoy her grandchildren.
SOUTH CENTRAL PA AFFILIATE OF THE WOCN SOCIETY www.ner-wocn.org/affiliates/ south-central-pa Seven of our members were able to attend the WOCN Society’s 47th Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas and found it to be a very worthwhile event. A poster developed by Melissa Stolley and Shawna Souder regarding use of a pressure ulcer staging algorithm was chosen as one that could be counted toward conference CEUs in the poster viewing arena. In addition, a poster developed by Diane Paskey was recognized by the American College of Surgeons. They have invited Diane to make a trip to Cleveland, Ohio to do a presentation. Her poster identified the benefits of preoperative teaching for ostomy patients. Also at the WOCN Society’s 47th Annual Conference, Dr. Janice Beitz presented an excellent lecture about odd peristomal wounds, and referenced an article written by Lynn DeMartyn, Nancy Faller and Laurie Miller about peristomal pyoderma (PPG) and the use of a topical crushed prednisone treatment. Over the past 18 months, several of our affiliate members have been featured in OWM in the My Scope of Practice section: Lynn DeMartyn in March 2014, Marge Matthews in April 2015, Phyllis Green in June 2015 and Leslie Wilson in August 2015. Congratulations to our members for speaking out about our practice and advocating for our patients
and our profession! Our fall meeting was held Sept. 15, 2015 with a Derma Sciences presentation on total contact casting, and on Nov. 10 we will have our final 2015 meeting, likely with a CEU offering during a lunch and learn session.
MIDEAST REGION (MER) OF THE WOCN SOCIETY www.mideastregion.org LOCAL CONFERENCE
“Driving Your Practice: Crossing the Finish Line with Strong Outcomes” was the theme for the MER Fall 2015 Conference that took place Oct. 1–3 in Indianapolis, Indiana at the Sheraton Hotel Keystone at the Crossing. Organizers assembled an exciting line-up of speakers who helped participants prove their worth in the changing healthcare environment. Visit our website, www.mideastregion.org, for more information.
NEWS
The MER was well represented in the Poster Hall at the WOCN Society’s 47th Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas in June. MER presented awards for two posters: Maureen Rosette for “Nothing Brief About it: Improving Incontinence Care,” and Rachel Hinshaw and Jana Props for “Challenges in Perioperative Care of the Ostomy Patient with a Left Ventricular Assist Device.” On April 15, 2015 Barbara Hocevar, Assistant Director of the R.B. Turnbull, Jr. MD School of WOC Nursing, was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award in Nursing by the Cleveland Clinic. For more than 25 years, Barbara Hocevar has been a constant at the school and has touched the lives of so many patients, educated so many WOC nurses, served as section editor of the JWOCN and written numerous journal articles and book chapters to add to the WOC nursing evidence base of practice.
4 Evidence-based guidelines at your fingertips
Access up-to-date recommendations for patients with pressure ulcers, fecal ostomies, lower extremity arterial disease (LEAD), lower extremity neuropathic disease (LEND) and lower extremity venous disease (LEVD). Quickly and effectively assess patients with the app’s many features, including the differential assessment algorithm, a wound, ostomy, and continence image library, a quick-reference guide and various other guidelines and tools. Save money. When updates to the guidelines are published, you can update your app’s content for free, thus eliminating the need to purchase new print guidelines in the future.
Now featuring the updated LEAD guideline.
Evidence-Based Wound Care Guidelines and Fecal Ostomy Best Practice wocn.org/guidelinesapp
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WE'LL
PICK UP THE TAB
First-Time Poster Presenter Scholarships Help Members Attend Annual Conference
W
ith so much camaraderie, networking and continuing education at the WOCN Society’s Annual Conference, we understand how valuable attending the conference can be for WOCN Society members. Some attendees are fortunate enough to have employers cover the cost of the trip, while others cover the cost themselves. However you make it to conference, the WOCN Society is pleased to partner with Sage Products to offer scholarships to help cover or offset the costs related to attending the annual conference for firsttime abstract presenters whose abstracts have a focus on preventative practices for wounds.
ABOUT THE FIRST-TIME POSTER PRESENTER SCHOLARSHIPS Once again this year, the WOCN Society partnered with Sage Products to offer a number of travel scholarships to first-time abstract presenters. When submitting abstracts for consideration, first-time presenters whose abstracts had a focus on preventative practices for wounds were automatically considered for a scholarship.
AN OFFICIAL NOD
The scholarships not only help ensure that high-quality research is presented at the meeting, but also offers a vote of confidence for presenters. “As a first-time presenter at the 2015 WOCN Society's Annual Conference held in San Antonio, receiving the travel scholarship validated that my research work was noteworthy,” said Marian Tabi, 2015 travel scholarship recipient and abstract presenter at the 47th Annual Conference. “I was pleased that my research
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abstract was among the few that were selected from the many competitive abstracts that were presented at the conference.” That recognition expanded to include more notice at home, too. “Our administration took another look at what we do and the significance of our facility and our positive outcomes, which were nationally/internationally recognized,” said Barbara Righter, another 2015 travel scholarship recipient and abstract presenter at this year’s conference. Whether at the conference or at home, the recognition was a boost of energy that some WOC nurses needed to keep going with the work and research they know is so important to the field. “As one of far too few WOC nurses in my large institution, I often feel that I am ‘swimming upstream,’” said Jackie Thul. “Receiving the Sage travel scholarship validated that ongoing research and study is important, and that there is occasionally a reward beyond the intrinsic.” In addition, travel scholarship attendees note that the ability to attend the conference, present their research and engage in conversation with other WOC nurses about their research was validating and enlightening.
Sage Products provides the WOCN® Society an unrestricted educational grant to offer a limited number of travel scholarships each year. These scholarships support first-time abstract presenters with a focus on Preventative Practices for Wounds.
F E AT U R E
Get a Head Start
You’ve got time to plan! If you are interested in submitting an abstract for the 2016 WOCN Society & CAET Joint Conference, the deadline is Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015 at noon EST. Or, start prepping your research now for 2017. For more information about submitting abstracts for the 2016 WOCN Society & CAET Joint Conference, visit www.wocnconference.com.
DOLLARS AND SENSE
While receiving a first-time poster presenter scholarship in 2015 meant that an abstract was deemed particularly worthy of spotlighting a new presenter working in preventative practices for wounds at the annual conference, it also meant that abstract presenters would be able to travel to the conference without financial difficulty. The scholarship covered costs of registration for the WOCN Society’s 47th Annual Conference, transportation, accommodations and meals. This level of support allowed some scholarship recipients to realize a long-awaited goal of attending a WOCN Society Annual Conference. “I have been a CWOCN for three years, and until this year have never been able to attend the conference due to costs,” said Iris Marshall. “The travel scholarship allowed me to attend the conference for the full five days. The speakers were so dynamic and informative; I feel I have renewed enthusiasm and excitement regarding the new information I have learned. This was an invaluable experience and I hope to be able to attend again sometime in the future.” For others, it allowed them to make the most of the conference when limited travel funds at their institutions would have otherwise prevented it. “Receiving the scholarship meant that I was able to travel to conference and share mine and my colleagues research in a year when travel money at my institution was sorely limited,” said Thul. “By not having to pay out of pocket, I was able to stay close to the convention center and participate fully in the experience of conference.”
A FOCUS ON FOCUS GROUPS
“The most meaningful benefit for me was participating in the Sage Focus Group,” said Maureen Rosette. This focus group was led by Dr. Mikel Gray, Editor-in-Chief of JWOCN and Sage Products representative, and gave Sage scholarship recipients the opportunity to ask specific questions about publishing manuscripts and approaching target audiences. “After our interchange, publishing is now a goal I believe I can actually accomplish,” said Rosette. In addition, scholarship recipients had the opportunity to connect with each other about common concerns, research and interests. “We engaged in wonderful, intriguing conversations about my research, implications, and future inquiry,” said Layla Garrigues. “I left rejuvenated and excited about teaching my nursing students about wound, ostomy and continence care as well as preventative measures.”
NEXT YEAR, IT COULD BE YOU!
Any first-time presenter with a focus on preventative practices with wounds could be eligible for a travel scholarship, so start thinking ahead to next year and your submission. “The process was really very
easy,” said Righter. “WOC nurses are already accomplishing great feats at their facilities. Why not share successes and CQI programs with your colleagues?”
A FEW BITS OF ADVICE FROM FORMER TRAVEL SCHOLARSHIP AND ABSTRACT PRESENTERS
Know your audience. “When presenting original
research findings think about the target audience – those who are attending the WOCN Society's Annual Conference – and ensure the abstract addresses every section in the application guidelines,” said Garrigues.
If the topic fits. “If you have a project focusing on
prevention, consider submitting a poster abstract for the upcoming WOCN Society's Annual Conference! You just may get funded to attend!” said Beth Sievers.
Look for the small details, even in triedand-true topics. “I would advise to not be hesitant
in documenting and submitting your results, or the topics/ information you are considering sharing,” said Marshall. “Even if you are considering a topic that has been presented multiple times, submit your abstract anyway as your readers will always learn something new.”
Work together. “We just made the time to get it done,” said Righter. “Even though I was considered the primary investigator, all three of the authors put the project together. We divided the organization. It took a team!” Focus on a passion project, for yourself or patients. “Find a project that will benefit measureable patient
outcomes, make it something you’re going to enjoy working with for an ongoing period of time and start early!” said Thul.
Find inspiration in the day-to-day. “My advice
to applicants is to look to your practice; have you made improvements that have changed things for the better?” said Rosette. “Have you solved a problem using evidence-based or WOCN Society best practices? Those improvements are the ‘stuff ’ of posters, and your peers want to read about it in the JWOCN.” The best piece of advice? “Don’t be afraid to submit your abstract, it is something you are passionate about people deserve to hear about it,” said Kelsey Cosdon. IN IT FOR YOU | ISSUE 6, FALL 2015
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LIVING WITH AN OSTOMY: The Ostomy Nurse Effect BY CHRISTINE KIM, FOUNDER OF OSTOMYCONNECTION
They’re our unsung heroes, our always-there-whenyou-need-them nurses. They’re often overworked and underappreciated, but still come in smiling every day. Ostomy nurses may struggle through their own pains, yet still do their jobs like no other.
I
have a special place in my heart for ostomy nurses. From the young age of 11, something inside me just wasn’t right. The diagnosis was Crohn’s disease. I surrendered to the illness at age 20 and chose a permanent ileostomy. I’ve been hospitalized over a dozen times in my life, and the medical staff I came to know best (and like best) were ostomy nurses. There are probably a million reasons why we all love ostomy nurses, but here are a few of mine I’d like to share.
THEY’VE SEEN IT ALL
Ostomy nurses have truly been there, done that, and for that reason, they pay attention in difficult moments. In 1994 I had surgery to remove a diseased colon. I tried to remain confident and composed, but inside I was terrified and my ostomy nurse knew it. She let me know she’d be right there waiting for me when I woke up. Post-op there are always those puzzling moments as the anesthesia wears off when you wonder, Heaven? Or hospital? “Hi Christine, it’s Nurse Sherrie, you’re doing just fine.” Recovery room – whew! She said she would be there, and she was.
THEY’RE HUMAN, YET MANAGE TO BE SUPERHEROES I’ve had several emergency room visits due to
dehydration, blockages and an obstruction. I gone through hours of intense abdominal pain, dizziness, throwing up and cold sweats. Upon telling the emergency department staff that I was about to pass out, the last words out of my mouth would always be, ”I know who can help, please call for an ostomy nurse.” They’re our unsung heroes, our alwaysthere-when-you-need-them nurses. They’re often overworked and underappreciated, but still come in smiling every day. Ostomy nurses may struggle through their own pains, yet still do their jobs like no other. Have you ever heard of compassion fatigue? It’s a real life side effect of being a nurse!
THEY’RE ARTISTS
Caring for people isn’t a job, it’s an art. WOC nurses are the world-renowned artists of the industry. Experiencing their skill first-hand opened my eyes to the importance of WOC nursing and information, and helping patients better understand an ostomy and have a better quality of life. So how in the world do I begin to thank the ostomy nurses who have impacted my life? That question sparked an idea that led me to develop a community for ostomates to come together to find information and support.
About OstomyConnection OstomyConnection is the result of bringing an incredible group of activists, health advocates and experts together, whose life work is helping others. A heartfelt thanks goes out to all WOC nurses for their compassion, long hours and commitment to caring for ostomates. To find out more about OstomyConnection, visit www.ostomyconnection.com.
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F E AT U R E
The Importance
OF WOC NURSES in Infant Ostomy Care
C
an you imagine caring for an infant ostomate without any knowledge of ostomy care? Andrew Dwyer and his family faced this experience, which demonstrated to them the value of WOC nurses. Dwyer’s son, Oliver, was born with a congenital heart defect, which required corrective open heart surgery when he was only 5 months old. After surgery, Oliver’s recovery proved to be challenging. “He did not recover as expected. In fact, he got sicker and more distended with each passing day,” said Dwyer. “Nine days after his heart surgery, they noticed something on an ultrasound that indicated he might have a perforated bowel. He underwent emergency exploratory bowel surgery, and they discovered a small piece of his bowel (the cecum) had died, so they removed it. He was too distended for his bowels to be safely reconnected at that time, so he ended up with an ostomy that lasted for about five months.” The problems for Oliver and his family were just beginning. Not only was Oliver facing heart conditions and complications, Oliver and his family had to manage his ostomy with little knowledge on proper ostomy care. “It was really awful for everyone,” said Dwyer. “It was awful because it was clearly painful for him to have his bag changed, and we weren’t exactly sure that the
methods and products we were using were the most effective and the least painful. So, there was a lot of uncertainty and feelings of helplessness.” While at the hospital, Dwyer tried to learn about ostomy care, but the staff showed a lack of experience and knowledge on proper ostomy care. “We received some bad advice while we were in the hospital,” continued Dwyer. “One of the pediatric ICU nurses told us specifically that if the bag ever started leaking, we should try to patch it because the output from his stoma was harmless to his skin and replacing the bag too often would irritate and damage his skin. It sounded reasonable to us, so we stuck to that advice. Unfortunately, the more we tried to patch things, the longer the output sat on his skin, and eventually it began to break down his skin and produced an extremely large and painful rash. It became nearly impossible to get any new bags to stick, which only made the problem worse. Oliver was extremely uncomfortable and irritable.” Eventually things got so bad that Dwyer decided to use his network to get answers. Dwyer, who works for Castle Worldwide, a testing company that helps certifying organizations develop, administer and score certification examinations, works with the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing Certification Board (WOCNCB). “It was around the time that the painful
rash was developing that I reached out to Leanne Richbourg, someone I had met through the WOCNCB,” said Dwyer. “In addition to offering advice, she also put me in touch with Michelle Rice, an ostomy clinical nurse specialist at Duke. Combined, the advice and support we received from Leanne and Michelle were both helpful and needed. First of all, it felt good to be getting professional advice from someone who clearly knew what they were talking about. But probably equally important was being able to stop second guessing ourselves and beating each other up when Oliver’s condition seemed to be getting worse and not better.” Once Dwyer and his family learned how to care for an ostomy from a WOC nurse, things went smoothly for Oliver. How has Ollie’s experience changed Dwyer’s view on WOC nurses? “The work they do is really important,” said Dwyer. “Many of us know firsthand that nurses have a powerful impact on the well-being of their patients and their families, but I believe that to be especially true when caring for something as scary and unfamiliar for people as an ostomy. I don’t know exactly what would motivate a nurse to want to specialize in ostomy care; perhaps it is the knowledge that their work makes a big difference in the lives of their patients. I’m so grateful that they are out there.” IN IT FOR YOU | ISSUE 6, FALL 2015
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S TA N D U P A N D TA K E A B O W
Work, Life, Volunteer B Y B E C K Y D R Y D E N , W E B S I T E A N D P U B L I C AT I O N S E D I T O R
Hear from four of the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society Core Curriculum textbooks editors on how they found the time and brought this huge undertaking to life
L
aunching the three new Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society™ (WOCN®) Core Curriculum textbooks was no small feat. WOCN Society members and volunteer editors came together to produce these valuable resources dedicated to advancing wound, ostomy and continence (WOC) nursing. With everyone’s lives getting busier and busier, balancing volunteer work, home and demanding nursing careers is truly an art. To gain insight into how they did it, we asked our editors two questions: How did you juggle this project with everything else you have going on, and how did you get it done? Their answers: having a passion for what you do, staying on top of your schedule and working with a strong team.
A PASSION FOR VOLUNTEERING AND WOC NURSING Among the many words used to describe Jane Carmel, Dorothy Doughty, Laurie McNichol and Katherine Moore, “passionate” makes its way to the top of the list. What is even more appropriate about the word is that this is how they describe their feelings toward the WOCN Society and their dedication to the current WOCN Core Curriculum textbooks that were
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recently completed. Their passion drove these editors to devote endless hours volunteering with the WOCN Society and their recognition of the importance of having the three current WOCN Core Curriculum textbooks. The passion, motivation and dedication described by these editors is what makes all the WOCN Society products stand out from all other WOC publications. Specifically, for McNichol, is the satisfaction she gets from devoting her time to causes she is passionate about. “Love what you do and do what you love,” says McNichol, referencing the quote by Ray Bradbury. “I’m happiest when volunteering and was motivated during this project by the gap that it would fill, be it for patients, WOC colleagues or those who practice in underserved areas without access to WOC nurses.” Doughty was similarly motivated by the impact the project would have on WOC nursing and patients. “I recognized the importance of updated texts in the areas of continence and ostomy care, and jumped at the opportunity to be an editor on both the ostomy and continence sections of the textbooks,” said Doughty. “I was so excited that the WOCN Society had underwritten this project.”
Their passion drove these editors to devote endless hours volunteering with the WOCN Society and their recognition of the importance of having the three current WOCN Core Curriculum textbooks. “Jan Colwell, Margret Goldberg and I were committed to the importance of having a new current ostomy textbook for future students and colleagues,” said Carmel, speaking of the team of editors for the Ostomy WOCN Core Curriculum textbook. Selecting which chapter to work on was an easy task, as each editor selected their preferred chapters to write (they were involved in authoring and co-authoring five of the chapters in the textbook). “When you enjoy writing about something you are passionate about, it comes together much easier,” said Carmel.
MASTERING TIME MANAGEMENT
Scheduling is one of the most important
S TA N D U P A N D TA K E A B O W
and difficult things to set out and do (and actually adhere to). Each of the editors identified scheduling differently. McNichol credits her skill at making time and being focused with helping her get through such a demanding project. “I put all of my projects in buckets, and when I open a file and delve into the work, that project is my focus for the number of hours I have available,” she said. What if distraction creeps in or burnout fades your fire? “If I get bored or tired or distracted, I work on something else, but whatever I am doing, I try to be all in,” she said. However, for those who struggle to sit and slog through hours of demanding work in one session, there’s Doughty’s method of chipping away at the mountain of work, slowly but consistently. “We had a relatively short timeframe for completing these texts, so we followed the age-old recipe for ‘eating an elephant’ – one bite at a time, and don’t stop till you’re done!” she said. “Commit your weekends and evenings to the project and set specific goals for each evening and each weekend. You may or may not meet those goals, but they keep you focused on your current objective.” Still another method is Katherine Moore’s tactic of working in a way that helped her maintain control of the project. “I would sit down at my desk on a Saturday morning and not let myself leave until I felt I had control back with the project,” she said. “I also made use of any and all free time I had. Traveling long distances by plane was a perfect flying office; there was nowhere to go and it was easy to concentrate on editing.” It all came down to buckling down and finding the way that worked best for each of them. Whether it be working in “buckets,” “eating an elephant – one bite at a time,” doing a “round-robin” of edits, or being locked up in an airplane in your “flying office,” 30,000 feet in the air, with no escape! Deadlines are the greatest challenge to deal with. They always seem to creep up on you, no matter how much you plan and prepare for them. It seems to be an overall consensus that without weekends and weeknights these projects would have been
Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society Core Curriculum Wound Management www.wocn.org/WoundManagement E D I T O R S : D O R O T H Y D O U G H T Y, L AU R I E M C N I C H O L As editors, we are very proud of the Wound Section of the WOCN Core Curriculum and very grateful to the authors for their outstanding contributions. This text was developed with both the student and the practitioner in mind. The design and organization of the wound section is with the student in mind; it begins with a review of the anatomy and physiology of normal skin and the process of wound healing, which provide the foundation for understanding wound assessment and wound management. Many of the chapters include a case study to highlight and illustrate key concepts, and all chapters include questions and answers to help the student assess her/his knowledge level. We believe the wound section will be equally beneficial to the practitioner; the content is state-of-the science, evidence-based, clinically relevant and comprehensive, and there are multiple illustrations to enhance its use as a resource in daily practice.
Ostomy Management www.wocn.org/OstomyManagement EDITORS: JANE E. CARMEL, J A N I C E C . C O LW E L L , M A R G A R E T GOLDBERG The Ostomy Section of the WOCN Core Curriculum was developed based on the WOCN accredited WOC Nursing Educational Programs (WOCNEP), ostomy content outline. The text can be used not only by the students enrolled in WOCNEPs, but also as a resource for the practicing ostomy care nurse. The content was written by leading multidisciplinary experts who currently participate in the care and management of the person with an ostomy. This textbook will serve as a vital resource not only for the ostomy nurse preparing for certification or re-certification, but is an indispensable text for those involved in the care of ostomy patients.
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Continence Management www.wocn.org/ContinenceManagement E D I T O R S : D O R O T H Y D O U G H T Y, K AT H E R I N E M O O R E We are proud to support both the continence nurse student and the continence nurse clinician with the Continence Section of the WOCN Core Curriculum, and we are indebted to our authors for their outstanding contributions. The continence field is growing; there is increasing awareness of the impact of continence issues on quality of life, and there are significant advances in the evidence that informs practice. While many clinicians perceive continence care to be complex and “high-tech,” the majority of individuals with bladder or bowel dysfunction can be managed with behavioral strategies well within the continence nurse scope of practice. In this text, written “by clinicians, for clinicians,” we cover both primary and advanced continence care for adults and children. In developing this section of the core curriculum, our goal was to provide both the novice and the advanced practitioner with a comprehensive and state of the science resource on bladder and bowel dysfunction – and we believe we have accomplished our goal!
Working with individuals who share the same goals as you will, of course, inspire you to work harder, motivate you to do your best work and continue to enjoy volunteering.
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difficult to complete by the deadlines. “I couldn’t have done it without my weekends and evenings, because that is when volunteer work gets attended to,” said Moore.
THE TEAM FACTOR
Working with individuals who share the same goals as you will, of course, inspire you to work harder, motivate you to do your best work and continue to enjoy volunteering. McNichol says it best: “I have met some of the most intelligent and talented people in the world while volunteering for the Society! Those people have inspired me to reach new heights in my own clinical and professional practice. I continue to serve the Society because of all that it has given me.” Having a supportive team behind you will power your passion. “I was lucky to work with other dedicated experts who followed the curriculum objectives and developed well written chapters, which made the stress of the editing so much easier,” said Carmel. Whether it be the textbook editor and authors, family or employer, their support will encourage you to follow your passion (Unlike Doughty’s dogs, who would attack her stacks of paper and climb on her keyboard in hopes of getting her attention. I hope they are getting extra belly rubs now!). Who you have surrounding you and encouraging you will ultimately help you get the job done. Having a great team of authors and editors you don’t get to work with every day, and who you appreciate and respect, will help make all work more enjoyable in the long run. Having the same passion, solid time management skills and a great team to keep you going is the key to success.
Enhance Your Clinical Skills through the
CEC
CONTINUING EDUCATION CENTER
As the global leader in wound, ostomy and continence education, the WOCN® Society offers online and on-demand access to educational resources through the Continuing Education Center (CEC).
CONFERENCE LIBRARY
Did you skip the Annual Conference? Don’t fall behind your colleagues. Access past conference sessions in the CEC.
WEBCASTS
CONTINUING EDUCATION
Watch live sessions from the Annual Conference and explore our webinar archive.
Earn more than 40 contact hours by completing the Society’s education activities and certification review courses. ®
WOUND TREATMENT ASSOCIATE Learn more about the Society’s wound care educational program designed for non-specialty licensed wound care providers and medics/corpsmen.
Visit the CEC today at wocncec.org
The Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. The WOCN Society was awarded Accreditation with Distinction, the highest recognition awarded by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Accreditation Program. The Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number CEP 15115. IN IT FOR YOU | ISSUE 6, FALL 2015
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Have You used the
Support Surface Algorithm? Nearly
5,000
individuals have accessed the algorithm
The algorithm has been used in
46 countries Access the support surface algorithm at algorithm.wocn.org.
Let us know how you have incorporated the support surface algorithm into your practice. E-mail your stories to wocn_info@wocn.org
Funded in part by an unrestricted educational grant from Hill-Rom. 20
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F E AT U R E
Making a Difference
The Wound Treatment Associate Program B Y D E A K E N T, D N P, M S N , R N , N P - C , C W O C N
T
he Wound Treatment Associate (WTA) Program has evolved into a great way to teach other nurses about wound care. These WTA graduates are an extension of certified wound care nurses and have spread across the continuum of care. WTA graduates can be found in post-acute settings (home care, long-term care and long-term acute care), as well as in acute settings. The WTA Program has enhanced pressure ulcer prevention programs, and has increased knowledge of fellow to help many wound, ostomy and continence (WOC) clinicians become more effective. Additionally, this has helped to free the clinical expert certified wound care nurse to focus time on complex patients who need that clinical acumen the most. Students who have completed the WTA Program have indicated that this education has made a difference in their practice, and has better equipped them to provide enhanced nursing care. Some participant comments have produced the following themes in relation to changes they have made in their own nursing practice: • I feel more confident making recommendations while waiting for the wound care nurse. • I am better prepared to care for the wounded patient. • I have learned about newer treatment modalities and dressings. • I have more ownership of my responsibility with prevention and treatment of wounds. • I have changed policies and prevention strategies in my facility. • I have learned how to really assess
Learn
More
about the WTA Program
a wound and the patient who has a wound. This is just the purpose of the WTA Program: to equip others to be effective members of the comprehensive wound team. Participants also mentioned the most helpful aspects of the WTA Program, which include: • Collaboration as a wound team member. • Education about proper wound assessment. • Education about the skin structure and functions. • Education about the disease processes that affect the skin. Without fail, WTA students indicate the vitality of this program to their practice, and in some cases, the WTA graduates have chosen to return to school in pursuit of baccalaureate education, ultimately to travel on a pathway to a Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing Education Program (WOCNEP), or have pursued admission to a WOCNEP. The WTA Program originally was created to be offered as a continuing education program. It was designed to educate those rendering wound care in underserved environments, such as the long-term care setting. However, as many WOC nurses have experienced, this deficit in wound care knowledge is not limited to one particular environment. In fact, there remains a huge deficit between the WOC nurse and the number of patients who require this expertise. For these reasons and others, this program has evolved into nationwide programming, offered across care settings and will soon be launched as a pathway to a new certification
WOUND TREATMENT ASSOCIATE
as an option for the WTA Program graduate. WTA program graduates and certificants are not competitors for the WOC nurse. They are extenders, enhancers of care. The WTA Programs are facilitated by wound nurses who are certified by the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing Certification Board (WOCNCB). These individuals, called course coordinators, become resources for WTA program students. Course coordinators are mentors of these extenders. This provides an opportunity to promote collaboration across care settings, which fosters a model and method for continuity of care. Ultimately, this leads to better communication between care settings and agencies, which falls second to better care for the wounded patient. As the WTA Program is undergoing revision and as the WOCNCB is completing the logistics for a certification examination, a new launch is planned for 2016. Accompanying the WTA Program will be infrastructure changes to ensure ongoing support for WTA participants, as well as opportunities for enhanced support for course coordinators. In the coming months, please look forward to WTA Program updates, meeting some course coordinators and even meeting some WTA participants. As we forge ahead in the WTA Program re-launch, please consider bringing the program to your agency and making a difference in your community.
Visit the WTA Program website at www.wtaprogram.com or email wta@wocn.org to learn more about bringing the WTA Program to your agency. IN IT FOR YOU | ISSUE 6, FALL 2015
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PUBLIC POLICY
WOCN Public Policy Update B Y C H R I S R O R I C K , M PA , S E N I O R P O L I C Y A D V I S O R K AT H L E E N G . L AW R E N C E , M S N , R N , C W O C N , P U B L I C P O L I C Y A N D A D V O C A C Y C O O R D I N AT O R
H
ere’s a look at the issues the WOCN Society has been following and will continue to follow throughout the year:
WOCN SOCIETY COMMENTS ON IMPORTANCE OF MEDICARE COVERAGE FOR COMPRESSION THERAPY
The U.S. Senate Finance Committee has announced the formation of a bipartisan working group in an effort to begin exploring solutions that will improve outcomes for Medicare patients requiring chronic care. The Chairman and Ranking Member announced the initiative following a May 15 Finance hearing on the issue and have appointed committee members Johnny Isakson (R-GA) and Mark Warner (D-VA) to lead the effort, which will include seeking input from health care stakeholders. To
aid the Finance Committee in chronic care reform policy development, members requested that stakeholders submit their best ideas on ways to improve outcomes for Medicare patients with chronic conditions. To this end, the WOCN Society submitted comments to the Committee, which can be found on the Society’s website.
WOCN SOCIETY ENDORSES LEGISLATION TO ENSURE PATIENT ACCESS TO COMPLEX REHAB TECHNOLOGY
Complex Rehab Technology (CRT) is critical to the quality of life and independence of people with severe disabilities or medical conditions. CRT is typically used for complex patients requiring unique and customizable equipment to help with their mobility and rehabilitation. However, Medicare currently does not have a unique coverage mechanism for the more complex needs of individuals with disabilities and chronic medical conditions that require medically necessary and individually configured products and services. Legislation has been introduced in Congress that would establish a distinct Medicare benefit category for complex rehabilitation technology products (CRT), S.1013 / H.R. 1516. The Ensuring Access to Quality Complex Rehabilitation Technology Act of 2015. WOCN Society’s letters of endorsement can be found in the Public Policy section of www.wocn.org.
PRESIDENT SIGNS LEGISLATION TO REMOVE BARRIERS TO DME ORDERING
As you are aware, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) altered how nurses can order DME products for their patients. A provision of the ACA required a physician to document that the physician, PA, NP or CNS has had a face-to-face encounter examination with a beneficiary in the six months prior to the written order for certain items of DME. In the case of a DME ordered by a PA, NP or CNS, a physician (MD or DO) must document
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the occurrence of a face-to-face encounter by signing/co-signing and dating the pertinent portion of the medical record. Failure to meet any of the requirements would have resulted in denial of the claim. The nursing community, including the WOCN Society, has been strongly opposed to the implementation of this provision over concerns that the MD oversight requirement is unnecessary and will reduce patient access to DME products. Since 1997, both NPs and CNSs have been authorized by CMS to order DME. Ordering DME for patients is clearly an activity that is within the scope of practice of APRNs. H.R. 2, The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, was signed into law by President Obama on April 16 and included a provision to remove the requirement that an MD must document the occurrence of a face-to-face encounter. This will greatly reduce the burden that many members have had with ordering DME in the past several years, and removing this barrier has been an advocacy priority for the WOCN Society as a result of hearing from many members on this issue. We expect CMS to offer additional guidance and clarification on DME orders later this year as a result of this legislation, stay tuned for further updates. In the interim, this provision is not being enforced by CMS and suppliers are not required to abide by the MD sign-off requirement.
WOCN SOCIETY ENDORSES LEGISLATION TO ALLOW NURSING TO ORDER HOME HEALTH CARE FOR PATIENTS
The WOCN Society was proud to endorse the Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act (H.R. 1342 / S. 578), which would help ensure that Medicare beneficiaries in need of home health care services whose providers are NPs, CNSs, CNMs and PAs would be able to directly access home health care by referral from their providers. This bill would provide beneficiaries continued access to care and increase the likelihood that they would experience better health and a higher quality of life. Although current law has long recognized advanced PRNs and PAs as authorized Medicare providers, and allows these clinicians to certify eligibility for nursing home care for their patients, it precludes these same practitioners from certifying patient eligibility for home health care services. This is an unnecessary barrier to care and adds at least one more step in the process of accessing home health care services by requiring the provider to find a physician to certify eligibility. In addition, delays locating a physician to certify eligibility, particularly in rural and underserved areas, can result in an extended hospital stay or nursing home admission because the beneficiary could not be moved back to or remain at home without home health care services. This legislation was introduced by Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) in the Senate and Reps. Greg Walden (R-OR) and Ron Kind (D-WI)
PUBLIC POLICY
in the House. The WOCN Society thanks these members for their leadership on this issue and looks forward to working with them this session to see this important legislation enacted.
WOCN SOCIETY LEADERSHIP ON THE HILL
Just before the August recess, WOCN Society member and Public Policy and Advocacy Coordinator Kathleen Lawrence took to Capitol Hill to meet with several members of Congress on legislation impacting the Society and our patients. These visits provide the WOCN Society with an important opportunity to weigh in on pending legislation to ensure that our voice is heard. During this visit Mrs. Lawrence met with the lead sponsors of H.R. 1184, The Medicare Skilled Nursing and Home Health Services Continuity Act. This legislation would pay for advance wound care products while in a skilled nursing facility (SNF). Currently, advanced surgical dressings are excluded from covered SNF services if delivered to a SNF patient for use during the SNF stay. However, dressings are included as home health services. The legislation would also establish an education incentive program to encourage each nursing facility, SNF, or home health agency to provide their clinical staff members annually with access to wound care education. The WOCN Society has not taken an official stance on H.R. 1184 but will continue to work with the sponsors as the legislation moves forward. In addition, Mrs. Lawrence met with the sponsors of S. 1211 / H.R. 1250. This legislation would provide that Medicare payments to a long-term care (LTC) hospital for inpatient services shall not be made at the applicable site neutral payment rate for certain discharges involving severe wounds. Current cuts in payment have affected 400 LTC facilities in the country who have provided extensive wound care to patients who do not fit the qualifying category of three or more intensive care days prior to discharge or 96 hours of ventilator care prior to discharge to LTC. This bill is to hold decreased payments, including payment for patients who have severe wound issues that are defined, and have organ system failure of at least one kind or have a need for supplemental feeding. The WOCN Society has not taken an official stance on this legislation either, but is concerned with the lack of payment continuity for severe wound patients in the long-term care setting. Finally, we met with the office of Rep. Dave Reichert (R-WA) regarding H.R. 1680, the Lymphedema Treatment Act. The WOCN Society has endorsed H.R. 1680 and is working diligently with Congress to see the legislation passed. H.R. 1680 would allow Medicare payments for compression therapy treatment. If you need additional information, the Society has created a Public Policy paper on this issue that can be found in the Public Policy section of www.wocn.org. IN IT FOR YOU | ISSUE 6, FALL 2015
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MEMBERSHIP BENEFIT
UPDATED Video Tutorials! B Y H E AT H E R M A R T I N E K , A S S I S TA N T E X E C U T I V E D I R E C T O R
I
n an age where you can teach yourself virtually anything by watching YouTube, the Society wanted to give our members the same opportunity. We want to orient our members on the benefits and resources of the Society and also help them utilize the tools available on our website. When someone joins the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society™ (WOCN®), they don’t always realize everything available to them through the Member Center. The Member Center (www.wocn.org) allows members to update their contact information, set preferences, as well as manage invoices and make payments. Additionally, the Member Center is home to the Society’s most valuable member resources; the Journal of Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing (JWOCN), the Forums, the Document Library and the Image Library. Therefore, the Society has implemented a video tutorial to accompany each benefit, to ensure that members are always able to navigate their way. The Image Library contains an assortment of images related to the care of wound, ostomy and incontinence patients. It provides the opportunity to search images, learn about the image, and download for professional and educational purposes. The JWOCN provides continuing education for the entire field of the WOC nursing practice. Members have online access to JWOCN archives, current and ahead-of-print issues. If members have a unique question, they can also use the Society’s Forums.
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View the Tutorials Visit www.wocn.org/videotutorials to find the WOCN Society’s video tutorials.
After posting a question, other WOCN Society members can post a reply that gets sent directly to the posting members’ email. Networking is probably the greatest benefit of being a WOCN Society member. Using the Forums, as well as the Membership Directory, nurses can search other WOCN Society members by various factors such as location, employer or region/affiliate. Once found, members can email them directly from the Member Center or check incoming messages. Being a member of the Society also has its advantages when pursuing continuing education credit hours. After logging into
the Continuing Education Center (CEC), members receive course discounts. The CEC also allows members to print their certificates once completed. This differs from the annual conference evaluations, which can be accessed through the WOCN Society website with a member’s unique conference ID. All of these benefits and resources are featured in the video tutorials. They are an excellent tool to assist members at any time, day or evening. At the National Office, we aim to provide the best customer service possible, so check out the tutorials today!
IN EVERY ISSUE
CORPORATE MEMBER NEWS
11health
BSN Medical
11health has launched ostom-i Alert in the United States. Ostom-i Alert is approved by the FDA as a 510k medical device for individuals with an ostomy. Ostom-i Alert is quickly being adopted by hospitals nationwide. Ostom-i Alert is reimbursed in the outpatient setting and billable in the hospital. 11health will be at many upcoming WOCN Society Regional events. www.11health.com
BSN medical is a global medical device industry leader providing treatment and management of venous leg ulcers, diabetic foot ulcers, chronic wounds, and lymphatic disease. Our JOBST® Compression Therapy and Cutimed® wound management products provide your patients with an integrated treatment pathway for fast and effective wound healing. www.bsnmedical.com
Alliqua BioMedical, Inc.
Cardinal Health Skin and Wound Management
Alliqua BioMedical, Inc., a provider of advanced wound care products, recently announced the closing of Celleration, Inc. Recently acquired Celleration Inc., is a privately held medical device company, based in Eden Prairie, Minnesota which is focused on developing and commercializing the MIST Therapy® therapeutic ultrasound platform for the treatment of acute and chronic wounds. www.alliqua.com
Cardinal Health has developed a NPWT portfolio targeted to the needs of different care settings: Cardinal Health™ PRO, PRO to Go and PRO at HOME. Each device has a similar design and user interface helping to provide a consistent experience across the continuum of care for both care giver and patient. www.cardinalhealth.com/skinandwound
Attends®
ConvaTec
Attends®, recently acquired by Domtar Personal Care (a division of Domtar Corp.), is singularly focused on incontinence care and was the first to develop an array of disposable incontinence products. Today, Attends is a trusted global brand and industry mainstay, whose products provide optimal dryness, odor control and comfort. www.attends.com
ConvaTec to launch the Natura™ Cut-to-Fit Accordion Flange: The Natura Cut-to-Fit Accordion Flange is the latest addition to the Sur-Fit Natura line and lifts easily to provide generous finger room so coupling is easy and comfortable. Designed for tender abdomens or for anyone who wants everyday comfort. www.convatec.com
Bard Medical
Covalon Technologies
The BARD® DIGNISHIELD® Stool Management System, with its unique self-closing system design, can effectively contain Clostridium Difficile, minimize exposure to harmful microorganisms during bag changes, and protect patient dignity by reducing odor. Please visit www.bardmedical.com to learn more about BARD DIGNISHIELD SMS and recent studies on the effectiveness of stool management systems. www.bardmedical.com
Covalon Technologies is delighted to announce that ColActive® Transfer – Wound Contact Layer is now available to order. ColActive® Transfer uniquely provides the protection of a wound contact layer with the healing benefits of a bioactive dressing. Covalon Technologies researches, develops and commercializes new healthcare technologies that help save lives around the world. Contact Covalon Technologies by email colactive@covalon.com or by telephone 1-877711-6055. www.covalon.com
BioDerm, Inc.
DUKAL Corporation
On July 1, BioDerm launched two new product lines utilizing our proprietary hydrocolloid formulation. The first is PEGprotect™, a hydrocolloid securement system designed specifically to meet the needs of PEG/J tubes. The second product is WingSeal™, a device for low profile hydrocolloid securement of epidural, Nephrostomy and billiary tubes. These new products build on our strong portfolio of catheter securement devices that are designed to meet the needs of the WOC nurse. www.bioderminc.com
DUKAL Corporation has entered into an exclusive agreement with Advancis Medical for sale and distribution of Activon Manuka Honey® dressings, Advazorb® Hydrophilic Foam Dressings, Silflex® Silicone Contact Layer, and Eclypse® Super Absorbent Dressings in the US and Canada. These products are innovative, unique, and improve patient outcomes. www.dukal.com
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CORPORATE MEMBER NEWS
Edgepark
Innovacyn
At Edgepark, we know that transitioning back home can be challenging for your patients. We created the Welcome Home Ostomate program to provide patients easy access to dedicated ostomy care specialists for questions about insurance coverage, product selection and other concerns. Call your dedicated Edgepark representative today to learn more! www.edgepark.com
Innovacyn is proud to present Puracyn Plus Professional Formula, the next generation wound irrigation and management solution designed to improve the most essential part of the wound treatment process: preparation of the wound bed. This advanced pH balanced solution is used in conjunction with wound irrigation, debridement and dressing procedures which set the stage for optimum healing conditions. www.puracyn.com
Fortis Medical Products
Joerns RecoverCare
Fortis Medical Products introduces: Entrust Ostomy with Fortaguard™: The missing link in ostomy care IS Fortaguard. Fortaguard is a breakthrough patented formula which safely uses sequestered hydrogen peroxide which is a well-known antimicrobial agent that kills bacteria and fungi. It’s the perfect match for ostomy care when added to high quality ostomy products. For ostomates who experience periodic or chronic skin conditions or irritations caused by heat, appliance wear and bacteria or fungus, Fortaguard may help! www.fortismp.com
Joerns RecoverCare and Acelity L.P. Inc. have entered into a long-term partnership to bring together Acelity’s gold standard negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) products with Joerns RecoverCare’s excellent reputation for service and product support in the skilled nursing facility (SNF) market in order to provide the best value for customers. www.joerns.com
Home Delivery Incontinence Supplies (HDIS) For the fourth consecutive year, HDIS was voted one of the Top Work Places in St. Louis by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Workplace Dynamics. HDIS is committed to supporting professionals by providing incontinence resources and solutions to assist with patient communication and education. We wanted to share this honor with you and your patients because we take great pride in helping with your patient care. www.hdis.com
Healogics, Inc. Healogics, Inc. sponsored its second annual Wound Care Awareness Week in June. In addition to raising general awareness, the initiative resulted in nearly 50,000 patients finding their way to advanced wound care centers across the nation. Healogics aims to reach patients with chronic wounds everywhere they are and heal them by the best means available. www.healogics.com
Hill-Rom Hill-Rom’s new Surface Selection Algorithm can help you build a standardized algorithm for your facility based on an evidence based approach. Its simple format can be customized to your needs and risk factors. It can help your caregivers and administrators order the right surface for your patients today. For more information, please visit us at www.hill-rom.com/safeskin. www.hill-rom.com
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Keneric Healthcare Keneric Healthcare is the manufacturer of RTD®; a line of advanced wound care products. We are pleased with our rapid expansion into the markets outside of US. RTD dressing’s proprietary technology is now benefiting patients in different parts of the world. www.kenerichealthcare.com
LINET Americas In 2015, LINET Americas celebrates five years in the United States. Since establishing a U.S. headquarters in 2010, LINET has grown to become a highly preferred supplier of hospital beds, support surfaces and hospital furniture. LINET’s product features have made a difference in nursing efficiency, ease of turning patients, reducing HAPUs and improving early mobility programs. www.linetamericas.com
MARLEN Manufacturing and Development GO MOBILE WITH MARLEN! Marlen is pleased to announce a new mobile app for your smart phone or tablet. Now you can request a sample or check part numbers any place, any time. www.marlenmfg.com
Medela, Inc. In June, Medela, Inc., partnered with the Wound Care Education Institute, Inc.®, to provide industry certification to Medela’s professional wound care staff. Medela Healthcare has provided NPWT since 2008 through our experienced team and PartnerFirst™ Network. This certification supports Medela’s commitment to providing customers and patients with unparalleled expertise. www.medelapartnerfirst.com
CORPORATE MEMBER NEWS
IN EVERY ISSUE
MF Medical
Safe n Simple
The VISION™ stoma pouch line, by the CASEX Innovation in Healthcare™ industry has special attributes: *Hydrocolloid resin with Aloe Vera, *CELLEX + is the plastic used in the VISION pouches. Odor control and avoids the formation of bacteria, *PRESS-LOK TM 731 system to close the stoma pouch. www.mfmedical-us.com
Safe n Simple, the fastest growing ostomy brand in America is proud to release SIMPURITY wound care dressings. These are very affordable evidence based; alginate, silver alginate and foam wound care dressings. If saving money on wound care products is important, contact Safe n Simple at 844-767-6334 or visit our website at www.SnS-Medical.com. www.SnS-Medical.com
MiMedx MiMedx® is the leading regenerative medicine company utilizing human amniotic tissue and patent-protected processes to develop and market advanced products and therapies for the wound care, surgical, orthopedic, spine, sports medicine, ophthalmic and Ddental sectors of health care. We are pleased to announce that our latest peer-reviewed scientific study, “Dehydrated Human Amnion/Chorion Membrane Regulates Stem Cell Activity In Vitro,” was electronically published in the Journal of Biomedical Materials Research: Part B – Applied Biomaterials. www.mimedx.com
Mölnlycke Health Care Minimizing Pain and Maximizing Life. Mölnlycke Health Care recently launched the Avance® Flex and the Avance Max NPWT systems featuring Avance foam dressing kits including film with Safetac® technology. Safetac technology is clinically proven to minimize unnecessary patient pain and stress. These exciting new NPWT systems are now available nationwide. www.molnlycke.us
Mount Sinai Health System Mount Sinai Health System has had an outstanding year topping the 2015 “Best Doctors” list, three hospitals have awarded Magnet status, Mount Sinai Health System was awarded the 2015 Most Wired Award by AHA and that’s just a few! To join our team, check out our career opportunities at www.mountsinaihealth. org/careers. www.mountsinaihealth.org
NB Products, Inc. NB Products Inc. is proud to announce, since 2012 we have been donating our product Na`Scent Ostomy Odor Eliminator to the Osto Group which provides Free ostomy supplies to the un-insured for only the cost of shipping. We continue to donate Na`Scent to the Osto Group so they have a continuous supply of Na`Scent, which will allow ostomates that have fallen on hard times and in need of supplies can live a better quality of life. Additional information can be found on our website under Ostomy Resources. www.nascent4u.com
Posey Company Customer-minded Posey Company boosts support in two key areas. To broaden training for its extensive product line, Posey bolstered its clinical in-service and education team. For GPOs/ IDNs, new managers bring expertise in achieving cost-saving goals and implementing Posey’s exclusive S.A.F.E. Approach – a program customized to reduce acute inpatient fall rates. www.posey.com
Sizewise Worldwide Sizewise Worldwide™ exclusively distributes The Hercules Patient Repositioner™ featuring an innovative drive unit, pressure redistribution mattress and specialized sheet that repositions patients in bed with the touch of a button. Patients move with the sheet eliminating the risk of friction that can cause skin shear, and relieving pressure in seconds. www.sizewisehercules.com
Southwest Technologies Southwest Technologies, Inc (SWT) mission and purpose is “Treating the World Well.” We are excited to launch many new products and share our evidence-based research with you. Please visit our new website or sign up to receive our newsletter at www.swtechnews.com. We look forward to working with you. www.elastogel.com
SteadMed Medical SteadMed Medical’s growth and hospital adoptions continue to accelerate. Drawtex® Hydroconductive Wound Dressings are changing the way clinicians are drawing deterrents to wound healing from the wound without adding injurious agents. Vashe® Wound Solution is changing the way hospitals and burn centers are cleansing wounds to remove microorganisms, physically disrupt biofilm and assist with debridement. www.steadmed.com
Strive Medical Strive Medical is sponsoring the CMSA Annual Conference in AZ on September 4th. We are looking forward to this event as this is our 1st year attending! For more information please visit our website at www.strivemedical.com. www.strivemedical.com
Weir Comfees In March, Weir Comfees began a series of Educational webinars aimed at providing valuable information and dispelling myths surrounding ostomies, hernias and the effects on lifestyle and self-esteem that comes with them. So far, two episodes are up on our YouTube channel and Facebook. Visit our website for more details.
www.weircomfees.com
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F E AT U R E
WOCN Society Call for Nominations:
F E AT U R E
Why and How to Get Involved
T
he Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society™ (WOCN®) is constantly looking for individuals who are willing to serve at the Board level. The Society asks for these individuals through the Call for Nominations. The Call for Nominations takes place annually in the fall. Ideal candidates will have the following qualifications: • An Active Member of the WOCN Society in good standing. • Professional experience with leadership accomplishments in nursing, health care, government, philanthropy, or the nonprofit sector. • Possesses diplomatic skills and a natural affinity for cultivating relationships and persuading, convening, facilitating, and building consensus among diverse individuals. • Personal qualities of integrity, credibility, and a passion for improving the lives of the WOCN Society’s beneficiaries. • Demonstrated commitment to and passion for wound, ostomy and continence (WOC) nursing, WOC nurses and, moreover, those served by the specialty. • Commitment to WOCN Society demonstrated by a strong history of volunteer service to the Society. • Substantial progressive professional leadership experience demonstrated by employment roles and/or volunteer board level experiences, preferably at the national level or equivalent. • Breadth and depth of understanding of WOCN Society’s various constituencies.
QUALIFICATIONS FOR TREASURER ONLY (ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING): • Experience as treasurer at either the WOCN Society region/affiliate level or with another volunteer professional or service entity/organization. • Academic preparation that includes 28
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budget, finance and fiscal management. • Personal or professional experience with accountability for managing large volumes of cash-flow and investments (e.g., leadership positions with responsibility for budget management).
QUALIFICATIONS FOR SECRETARY ONLY
• Meticulous attentiveness to detail. • Demonstrated excellence in written communications. Once the individual submits an application, an interview process is conducted by the nominating committee to ensure the qualifications of the applicant. After the applicant is approved, the election begins in early spring and is open to all voting members of the Society. Many may ask why they should become involved with the WOCN Society at the Board level. The WOCN Society is constantly evolving with changes in health care. The Society needs different perspectives and experiences to provide diversity within the organization. The practice is always changing so the WOCN Society is in need of individuals who are willing and able to contribute to the fluctuations.
THE POSITIONS OPEN FOR NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2016 ELECTION ARE THE FOLLOWING:
Secretary Treasurer Director of Area 2 Director of Area 4 Nominating Committee Area 2 Nominating Committee Area 4 If you are not interested in serving on the WOCN Society Board, there are two available positions on the Nominating Committee, which are also voted on during this process. The Nominating Committee individuals are responsible for vetting the Board members and choosing who to propose to the Board for the official vote. • • • • • •
If you don’t feel you are ready to serve at the Board level or don’t meet the qualifications, the WOCN Society is always looking for committee and task force volunteers! These individuals help drive and deliver the educational initiatives of the Society. There are many ways to become involved with a committee or task force. The available standing committees are: • Accreditation Committee • Education Committee • National Conference Planning Committee • Wound Treatment Associate Advisory Committee Task force projects are always developing and we constantly need volunteers to provide their expertise on various projects. You can volunteer for a committee or task force at any time throughout the year by submitting an application (www.wocn.org/volunteerform).
If you are not looking to become involved at the Board or Nominating Committee level, we encourage you to stay involved and vote for the individuals running. Every vote matters in the election – we want to hear your voice! The WOCN Society is committed to advancing the practice of WOC nursing. In order to deliver the latest education and strategic direction of the Society, we must continue to have the involvement of WOC nurses like you! An email will be sent out to the entire WOCN membership once the Call for Nominations is open with more information on how to submit an application.
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